The Washington critic., 1887-08-17
TIE VISITORS GUIDE.
Objects Of Interest in and About ,h'
National Capital
TIE GOVERNMENT BUILDINGS
Parks, Squares, stafuss, usfdirus nud
Othrr Poiut- ct AttrartIuu.

THE WA TO REACH THEM
Washington has already become The
most attractive city of the country A.
the Capital Of the Nation @ presents
more objects OF interest 90 the visitor
than any other on the continent. aul
brief directory Of its prominent points
will he Of service 90 the vast number uf
persons who annually resort 90 thC p1.
litical metropolis. For Il Is estimated
that over three hundred thousand
strangers pay visit every year 10 this
city to behold the vnrlpd objects Of IN.
terest which SO thlckly stud the bis.
toric "Icn Miles square
The System OF Numbering Houses,
Numbers are displayed over the entrance o.
all houses, and tho decimal sysiom. a.
adopted In Philadelphia, b. ustl-o hun.
drcd numbers being allotted 90 each 1IuHo.
or bloCk-COmmunuiug az First street west
running west, First street east, fuuulu
east 4 street north, running north, and q
street south, running south, The odd mum
bers are always ON the iighthand side 81.
ing from the Capitol, and the even number
on the ictt-hand side. Tho city j. divided
into four quarters or sections, northeast and
northwest, southeast and southwust, tht
streets being designated accordingly; those
running north and south numerically, and
those running east md west 10y the letter.
of the alphabet, the dividing lines being
North and South Capitol streets. running
on a line due north and south from the CAP
itol and East Capitol street, and a cuutlnua.
ton on the same west OF the Capitol run
ming due east and west.
The Capitol.
This great building Is the central point Of the
original District, and Is tho largest ediilC0
In the country. Its centre marks the Ne.
ridian of Washington. The middle portion,
Immediately under tho dome, Is the part
first built. II was partially destroyed by the
British IN 1914, but was completely restored
by ls27 II inclOscs the "Crypt'-whCre tho
remains OF Washington were intended To be
placed, tho Library, the Rotunda, the old
Representatives Hall, now the Gallery OF
statuary, and the old Senate Chamber, now
the supreme Courtroom. The old supreme
Courtroom, in the first story, Is now Occu
pied by the Law Branch OF the Library.
The Cornerstone Of the Capitol extension
the north and south wings-was laid July 4,
1851, Daniel Webster delivering the uratiuu
of the occasion from the balcony OF the
Library. The south wing contains the
House OF Representatives. and the north
wing the Senate Chamber. The rOtundn isdls-
tineuished for its historic paintings, for tho
famous bronze doors. with their bas
rcliCis, and for Brumidi's trescongs. In the
Hall of Statuary are the natural pictures Of
Potomac marble, representing faces OF GER
tain American statesmen-a picturesque
freak OF nature. From the littlo rOtundn,
Immediately north Of the great rOtunda, the
staircase 10 the top of the dome begins its
winding way. From the top of the dome, or
AS far as the visitor can ascend, the view
Of the surrounding country Is magnificent
The CAPITOL grounds, which formerly were
homely and formal In appearance, have
been transformed into a beautiful
park and are nuw most eNquisitey beauti
tul. The east base of the Capitol Is 500
feet above ordinary low tide in the Potomac.
The total height from east base TO the top
ot the temple covering the dome Is 2S3 feet
the statue of the Goddess OF Liberty, 1915
feet, making the total height to the crest OF
the statue S01,6 feet. This crest is 1850 feet
higher than the west gate Of the grounds,
and 800 feet above low tide In the Potomac,
or 2is feet lower than the apex Of the Wash.
r west. The building Is 75l feet long by 39i
wide, and covers ~ acres, ltis the finest
and largest public building in the world,
and in many respects the costliest and
handsomest. IL Is moreover the growth of
less than a century-a fact which adds to
It's beauty and interest. The original Capt.
tol, or centre building, Is an Imitation,
though not, slayish one, Of the ,Maison
Carree ut Nlsmes. The view from the west
portico at night, when the lamps are lit In
illuminate the darkness Is one of the most
beautiful and picturesque in the world and
Is well worth journey of u thousand miles
The White House.
From the west balcony OF the Capitol, looking
down Pennsylvania avenue, the White
House Is seen rearing Its snowy-hued walls
above the dense mass OF foliage that en-
bowers II, like a gigantic calla lily springlng
up amid its enfolding green blades Were
II not for the partly Intervening Treasury
building the view of the White House from
the Capitol would be full and complete. The
White House is the center of "Up'town," as
the Capitol L. the center of Down town"
It Is beautifully located, the view from tho
south windows covering the whole southern
front ofthe city, as the view from the north
up sixteenth street west exhibits the best
part Of the Northwest section TO the gaze:
The White House Is a copy of the palace of
the Duke Of Lenster at Dublin, with the
addition Of large porch on the north front,
which was added during Andrew Jackson,s
administration; The % reservatlon IN which ni,l
main entrance Is ON the north, reached by
the Pennsylvania avenue cars. 1t Is two
stories high on the north, is built of white
tains OH the first floor the famous Green,
Red, Blue and East rooms, the State Dining
Room and the great conservatories. The
Blue Room Is the Presidents official rocep-
tlon room and the drawing-room of the ladies'
OF his family. The East Room, originally
designed for q banquet hall and so used as
late as 1881, and In the latter part of the
century used as a drying-room for clothes
by Mrs. President Adams, Is the largest and
most noted room in the building; 1t Is q
feet high so feet long and 40 wide. II Is
open 10 visitors every day except Sundays.
upstairs are the Cabinet room, the private
offices, the Presidents office, the, library
and tho family apartments All these
by special permission, at suitable hours.
Lafayette square.
Due north from the White House IS Lafayette
Square, the first public reservation in Wash
ingtOn that was improved. IL contains the
equestrian statue Of Andrew jackson, by
Clark Mills. Many of Its trees are old forest
monarchs, hundreds of years old, u is In
part u specimen of the old formal landscape
gardening so fashionable In England two
hundred years ago, a style that was i'm
ported into this country. Lafayette SQUARE
was, one hundred years ago part II a grave
yard that enclosed the square north on
which st. Johns Church Is built, and tho
square east, on which are situated the At
t0rney Generals office formerly the Freed
mans Bank, the surgeon Generals office
and Riggs Bank tbOth In the building for
merry used as the United States Bankl,
Commodore Decatur's house, corner FIJI
old Club House, near which Philip Barton
Key was killed by Daniel Z, sickies, Mem.
her of Congress from New York. The last
moved until 1919.
~. Johns T.. u. Church.
ST. Johns p. z. Cnurcn, which has been often
called the state Church because more Pfesi-
other, stands at the corner of II aud Six
feenth streets. II was built In 1915 and en-
larged in 1920 In II have worshlpped Pres
idents Madison, Monroe, John Quncr
tionalst) Martin Van Buren, though ho be
lOnged TO the Dutch Reformed Church, liar
rison, Tyler, Polk, Taylor, Fillmore tthOugl
the latter was a Unitarian, Pierce, Buch
anaa and Arthur. Presidents Lincoln
johnson and Grant have also attended ID
vine services here although not steadily. IT.
interior reminds one very fOrclhly Of IN,
old, dim English country Episcopal churches
The Treasury Department.
The Treasury Department u east OF the whit,
House and extends the whole length Of tn
front between Pennsylvania and New YorR
avenues, IL Is hs2 feet long by 400 feet wide
The central east portion Is built OF freestone
rpluitt In tsgg- ~ Nylilp tho "a p4rts war